Africa-Russia relations in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine

This chapter examines the relations between the governments of African countries and Russia in the wake of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since the war began, the Kremlin has sought to forge closer ties with African governments and, thereby, expand its power projection capabilities, weaken and distract Western adversaries, reduce economic and political isolation, and access markets for Russian goods and services as well as realize ideational commitments. To this end, it has provided authorities on the continent with food, military personnel, weapons, electoral support, technical expertise, and backing on the international arena. The Kremlin’s interest in the continent has created valuable political opportunities for African leaders. At the same time, engagement with Russian authorities – opportunistic, unreliable, oftentimes ineffectual, and ostracized by the more powerful and, for many African countries, important Western governments – has carried substantial risks. African governments’ adaptations to the geopolitical conditions changed by the invasion and Russian outreach have taken four distinct, if not mutually exclusive, forms: alignment with the Kremlin, efforts to leverage concerns about its influence on the continent to secure better terms from Western allies, promotion of a more multipolar global order, and purchase of Russian goods and services at reduced prices.